Five Wild What Ifs

Through the first six games of the season the Cowboys looked like a team that finally turned the corner, but then came the trap game against the Redskins, and then came Brandon Weeden last week in place of Romo. All the sudden, the Cowboys are looking very mortal at 6-2 and a win against the Jaguars on Sunday is not guaranteed.

Is this a must win game? Yes, hell yes it is. The Cowboys need to show they can be resilient and they need to show they have not abandoned the run. Show me killer instinct.

Let’s look at some wild hypotheticals and how they could shape the rest of the season.

1. What if DeMarcus Lawrence is ineffective?

The Cowboys gave up a lot to get their pass rushing specialist and everything looked like he was ready to step in and be a force, but then came the foot injury. Lawrence missed the first seven games of the year, and he finally made his debut. Lawrence set a goal of 10 sacks his rookie year before the season started and even now he still wants to hit that target.

I think Lawrence will be ok, and I think he’ll be a solid contributor. We are going to need him as we hit the final stretch that is peppered with a heavy dose of road games. So, what if Lawrence ends up being a dud? If Lawrence never gets on track, then the Cowboys will need to go heavy on defense again in the draft and possibly invest on a high end free agent. Let’s hope Lawrence records a few sacks and pressure on Bortles Sunday, it’ll be a step in the right direction.

2. What if Romo re-aggravates his back injury or worse?

Romo is the ultimate competitor, you have to give him that on all levels. The guy has played through various injuries and that is a form of leadership that can trickle down. If Romo can play with these injuries, the other players with nagging injuries can play as well.

Whether its against the Jaguars or another game later in season, what if Romo suffers another back injury? If Romo gets knocked out, and worsens his current injury, it could be a career for Romo. At some point Romo will need to consider his longterm health, and I believe another back surgery will seal the deal.

Romo will be questionable to probable the rest of the year, and this could be a ticking time-bomb. The Cowboys have rolled the dice on QBs since Aikman retired and have not used a 1st round pick on a QB since 1989 when they used one on Troy Aikman and one on Steve Walsh. That’s way too long. Parcells had the luxury of Bledsoe and Romo waiting in the wings. Garrett has Romo and absolutely nothing in the waiting. Weeden is terrible.

3. What if Tyler Patmon keeps making plays?

The Cowboys have had some bad luck with cornerbacks since Kevin Smith left the Cowboys, and that was a very long time ago. We’ve had all sorts of free agent busts and draft busts. It’s nice to see some young players step up and be physical with some swagger. Orlando Scandrick is the clear #1 CB, but after that, it’s up in the air for the pecking order. I know Carr is the #2 on the depth chart and he lines up opposite Scandrick, but he’s struggling bad, he’s playing like Newman’s last days.

That being said, what if Patmon keeps showing up when he gets on the field? To me, Patmon is the real deal. He made plays in the preseason and he made another big play last week. He’s made more big plays than former 1st round bust, Morris Claiborne. If all the corners were healthy, I would have Patmon ahead of Claiborne. If we hit on Patmon, this will help our draft strategy immensely. I really don’t want to use a 1st rounder on a CB next year, so we’ll see what Patmon can give us.

4. What if the Cowboys would have drafted Manziel instead of Martin?

Things could get interesting in Dallas if Romo cannot finish the season or has to retire due to another back surgery. Jerry Jones seems to think Romo can play another five years. He knows he cannot, Romo is going to play his guts out because he knows this could be his swan song. Romo is just too beat up. Either way, the Cowboys need to consider a QB in the upcoming draft classes and if Romo is banged up, he should tell Jerry its time to draft a successor.

During the 2014 draft, it was said Jerry was seconds away from drafting Manziel, so what if he would have? If Manziel was drafted, he would have won last week against the Cardinals, or at the minimum he would have played better than Weeden. To me Manziel would have been able to execute the offense, he’s mobile and elusive like Romo, and has a strong arm to make all the passes.

Without Zack Martin, Romo would have struggled like he did last year, that’s how much Martin has helped this line, so we made the right choice. I still love the pick, very much, but you know Jerry is watching what is going on in Cleveland and a trade itch could rear its head during the 2015 offseason, especially if Romo is damaged goods. With each win Hoyer gets for the Browns, the chance increase that the Browns extend him, and Manziel would likely want out, no way he sits on the bench and rots away. This whole situation will be something that will come up in the offseason, guaranteed.

5. What if the Cowboys have a colossal meltdown after the bye week?

The Cowboys should be able to take care of the Jaguars, we must. But let’s say the Cowboys lose against the Jaguars, and then come out flat after the bye week. We could be sitting at 6-5 after we play the lowly Giants, and if that’s the case, we could be in serious trouble, and here we go again.

Right now it seems impossible to have a complete meltdown, but if the Cowboys choked it up after the bye week, then there could be some serious changes in Dallas. It would be hard for Jerry to justify extending Garrett a new contract after a pretty good start and then a meltdown to end the year.

This is why the Jaguars game should be played with some serious sense of urgency, and with killer instinct. Let’s get back to our identity of running the ball down opponents throats and making them eat it all day. The Cowboys will have their chance to get back to ground attack with the return of Leary and Free. Both are expected to play Sunday.